Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-05-06
An Interstate Tariff.

national legislation on transportation
charges on two grounds. First, be-
cause 1t was a new departure politi'
cally, and would vastly increase the
power of a central government over
divers local interests. In other words,
because II destroys another one ofthe
guarantees of the perpetuution OF To-
cal self-government.
The second ground was that legis-
lation against existing rates would
result not in lower, but in higher,
charges-in an increase rather than
in decrease of the transportation
tax.
We suppose no one who reads the
daily paper doubts the soundness OF
either position to-day. Fortunately
the commission was wise enough 10
suspend over large section of the
country the most dangerous and the
most obnoxious section Of the law, or
business throughout the South would
have been paralyzed.
II is to be noted that the only in
ierests which favor this fourth sec
tion are those which are to be bene-
flied by an increase in the cost of
transportation. 1t is In other words
only class legislation; law which IS
TO tax the producer for the benefit of
other small clasles. The river men
hope to have revival of prosperity,
not because they propose to reduce
their charges for the services they are
to render, but, because with the rail-
roads denied the privilege of con-
tending with them for the carrying
trade of the interior, business will,
by the law, be forced 10 the water
routes, and they can charge what
they please.
On Thursday Mr.. Taft, represent
ing the clipper lines, that is, the ships
and water transports, addressed the
commission in opposition to the sus-
pension of the fourth section as far as
II applies TO the Pacific railroads. He
insists, not that these railroads have
been charging too much, but that
they have been charging too little I;
not that they have been guilty of un-
reasonable or extortionate rates, but
that they have been running the ship
ping interests by the low cost for
transportation services, flooding the
country, as it were, with cheap trans
porialion. Mr.. Taft wants the Pa
cific Mail line and other lines doing
a shipping business protected against
the low rates made by the rail lines |;
he wants a subsidy to be taken by
the agents of the clipper lines from
the unfortunate shipper or producer.
He insists that the railroads be COM
PEELED TO advance rates to point at
which his clients can make profit at
the expense of the shipper on a part
of the-business.
This seems preposterous enough,
but 1t is the prevalent idea of the
purpose of Government. The idea
back Of the Interstate Commerce Bill
is exactly the principle back of the
tariff, which is that waste makes
wealth, and that the way to make
everybody prosperous is to compel
every ono to pay for every service or
for every article twice what 1t is
worth
TaIa orothor raxamnIa w n Gar.
,o,t pres,dent of lie Manneac,nrars,
Assnc,at;on os 70 aI;fornia In hehsIf
or h;s sssoc;ates entered liz nrotas,s
sgainst a snsnension of the fonr,h
section. The manufacturers of the
Pacific coast want protection. The
war tariff is not enough; that pro-
tects onlv as AGAINST Enolsnd. thev
demand nrotection AGAINST New Enc.
land and the East The railroads
have nracticalv aholisbad distsnce
on tbia continent The Consiitntion
forbids anv STATE 10 establish a tariff
aoainst ihs nroduots ofanother State
TSe California Observation-Disclosures wish
IN avoid or annnl that section of tie
Constitution thew want nrotection
nsttbe Eastern comnetition Thev
Wish 10 have the nriviIego Of forcing q
tho consumers Of The Pacific coast 10
nav higher nrices for manufactures
sriicles Ifthe fourtb section il en-
forced = new tariff wall IL erected he.
tween tha East and the Wcst The
rail lines will then be forbidden 10
carry freiohts as chesnlv as thew can.
Higb rates will shut The Califnrnia
wnoi. .grower ont Of The Eastern mar
rst faSd the California mannfaclnr-
ore can tban Inv wool at his own
n,ice The same law will shnt ibe
Eastorn msnnfactnred articles ont of
tha California markets On the Pacific
cosst manufacturer car charge what
he ,Ieasas
n Searles also snneared before
,he commission asking far a n anforce-
ment Of the fourth section IN order
10 nrotect tha sngar retinars of the
Esst against the comnetition of tbe
sngsr ref,ners of The San Franc,sco
wbn oet their sncar dntv free uudeI.
our mr. trestv with Hawaii Mr. Searles
does moi nromise IN iower the nr;ce
of sugsr. be wants the nrivilece NJ
estaDlshlng hgner prices; ne com
plains that the compeu!lon ~ the
East rom pan canclsco ~ closing up
2 number OF renherles, ana ne .ninks
III tnhJ COlnpeLltlOn Wcfo hnut OH tncy